Omaha daily bee., 1887-11-17
ROMANCE OF AN ANARCHIST.
How Albert Parsons Made His
Escape.
HIS TRAGlCAL SURRENDER.
How Captain Blacks Enthusiasm
Brought the Refugee Within
the Tolls - A Pretty
Note Bearer.

NY bllc dndTCulSb tTldl Vi n. ". JaTSOnS
has never been printed. 1t is an inter
esting story. Parsons, it will be re-
membered, was the only one OF the an
archists who ran away the night of the
massacre on the Haymarket. Schnau-
belt, who, it is said, threw the bomb,
ran away also. but not until the police
had taken him in and dismissed him
for some unaccountable reason. Unlike
Parsons, he did not return, and his
whereabouts has never been discovered.
When the anarchist left town
he left no trail behind for the
one of the cleverest escapes that has
ever been made by any man. The police,
TO make use of an exaggerated expression,
'turned heaven and earth" in their
effort to find Parsons. First they got q
"tp" that he was in concealment at
Waukesha, Wis, but investigation
proved that he was not. Then came a
story that he was on a ranch some
where near Omaha, and Jim Bonfield
went west to investigate, but he did not
find Parsons. The latter has said this
tip was the correct one. and he asserts
that he frequently passed jim Bontield on
the street of Omaha. There are people,
however, who seriously doubt if
blS IOllce eNcr gov vi tnC
right trail during their long search,
because they believe that Parsons
never left the city at all. These people
are probably correct, as the following
incident of the great tragedy will show:
The Saturday afternoon before the trial
of the anarchists began, Attorneys
Foster, Black, Solomon and Zeisler, OF
the defense, held meeting in Salo-
mon s Office on La Selle street to plan n
line of action for Monday. Mrs. Par
sons was present. and half score of
sympathizers OF the reds were waiting
outside ready to offer advice or lend any
assistance that might be required. The
conference had continued nearly an
hour, when pretty woman, OF petite
figure, entered the office. Her face was
flushed and her eyes shOne with sup
pressed excitement as she turned to
Mrs. Parsons and beckoned her into q
corner. The lawyers ceased talking to
look at the pretty intruder, and the as
tonishment her sudden entrance had
caused was increased when she drew
from her bosom an envelope. This she
handed to Mrs. Parsons, who opened it
and silently read its contents.
"Where did you get this?' Mrs.
Parsons asked, in sharp tones, holding
the letter aloof.
Il got it from John -, who got it
from him. 1t was handed me in the
street half an hour ago, and l hurried
here as fast as l could to give it to YOU"
This reply, coupled with the few
words which the little woman whispered
into Mrs. Parsons ear, seemed to satisfy
the latter, and she turned round and
faced the wondering lawyers.
This letter." she said, deliberately,
was written by my husband, and he has
taken this means of sending it to me
rather than trust to the mails. He
wants to know whether or not, in your
opinion, gentlemen, he ought to come
and give himself up-whether he ought
to stand trial with his comrades"
The announcement caused a sensation
among the lawyers. For several min
utes not one of them spoke. Mr.. Foster
was the first one to break the silence.
II do not think" he said, ''that it
would be advisable under the circum-
stances for Parsons to return here now.
Public sentiment is all against these
men, and it would be ill-advised for him
so come here and face a community that
is ready to put IA rope around his neck. !"
"Well, gentlemen, you have to decide
now what ought to be done," was the
cool reply of Mrs. Parsons. "My hus-
band is in safe hiding place, and he
will not come back unless | send him
word. For my own part do not know
what to do"
''Glorious." shouted Captain Black,
springing out of his chair. Parsons is
brave man to think of this. What a
grand thing it would be for a man in
dicted for his life to come back and vol
| UNFAIRLY face his accusers in open court
and say to them: Gentlemen, [ am in
nocent.' Have him come back by all
means"
Captain Blacks eyes glistened with
genuine delight. Mr.. Solomon was
equally enthusiastic, but Mr.. Foster in
sisted that the step would be unwise.
Ieisler said nothing at all, but listened
attentively to the arguments OF his as
sOciates. Once Mr.. Foster turned to
him and asked him what he thought
about the matter, and he replied that
he did not have an opinion, at least
none that he would express. Finally
the lawyers conference was brought to
a close, and Mr.. Foster was about to
leave for his own Office when Mrs. Par
sons accosted him with the query:
Captain, what had l better dO-tell
my husband to come or to remain where
he is?'
Tell him to remain where he is"
was the prompt reply, and the lawyer
proceeded to give his reasons for the
advice. He drew largely from his own
experience as lawyer for his argu-
ment. 81 have seen cases, he told her,
"where men accused of crime, Of mur-
der, could not escape the gallows while
public opinion was strung up to high
pitch, but when the excitement wore off
and another kind of sentiment set in,
they could be sure of fairer trial.
In this present case public senti-
| ment is against the defendants,
| while in a few months from
now it will be sure to change. At
| any rate, if your husband is in safe
place he had better stay there. He
cannot do any better than remain
| where he is. The others must stand
trial, and he cannot do his own or their
causes any good by joining them while
public sentiment remains as it is. After
! the trial is over he can. come back and
ask for trial, and if one is given him
he is sure to be treated better than he
would be if he comes now."
This argument seemed to settle Mrs.
Parsons's doubts, for when she parted
with the lawyer she said her husband
would remain where he was. Later in
the day, however, she met Captain
Black and Saloman again, and Parsons